Tuesday, January 3, 2012

if the first two days of 2012 are any indication of what the rest of the year is gonna look like, then i need to prepare for two things:

The World Series of Poker & a seriously sore toosh!

i've played in three games and have won two...i've already equaled my number of wins from 2011. i know what you're saying, "you should play all day/everyday." well let me tell ya, i would be parked by that felt table if my booty didn't start aching 20 minutes into the game. i've dealt with bleacher butt before but this is on a whole new level! i'm talking about 'what what in the butt'!!!

you gotta endure the pain to fully enjoy the pleasure...so bring on the cards and the painkillers!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

i've always loved shopping so this probably won't shock many people. i stumbled upon Etsy.com in september and if there was such thing as a "rookie shopper of the year award", i am positive that i would be in the running. below are some of my favorite october and november purchases. i can't wait to start...who am i fooling, continue x-mas shopping on this gem of a website.

the absolute best thing about Etsy is that all of the vendors are small businesses and in some cases, local too. people selling to people without the big corporation crap. did i mention that i love Etsy...

awesome fine art photograph that i can't wait to hang.

i have found the most amazing pillow covers...if i could, i would have a room full of pillows.

these are the best hairbands i have ever owned. they make great bracelets before getting your hair out of your face.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

yep, you read this right! you get another opportunity to drink for the MEF.

go down to the Ram (U Village ONLY) december 11-18th, order some grub, watch a game or two and drink purple beer. not just beer, but PURPLE BEER...$1 from every purple beer sold will go directly to the melissa erickson foundation.

drinking for a good cause is always a good time and everything is better when it's purple...true, true.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

here are a couple pictures from wednesday night. i can't even begin to describe how special the night and honor was. my memories of the dawg days are unparalleled and extremely cherished. so to be asked to return and have another chance to step on the court at good ole' Hec Ed, i was nervously excited. it's funny, besides the first few games of my freshman year, i never became nervous at the thought of stepping on the court and becoming the center of attention. so why, on a night that a MVP performance could only be derailed if my wheelchair broke down, was i nervous to step on the same floor that i've flopped, sprinted and chest bumped on for four years?! i dunno either...but that's why i brought my teammates with me. as soon as i stepped on the court, i felt at home again and i couldn't stop smiling. the video and script was perfect. when i realized that both Coach McGuff and Coach Bonvicini were keeping their teams on the floor, i felt extremely special. the best part of the night was the best part of every game day. husky fans are like no other in college sports...well they actually share the same passion as any fan of their favorite college, BUT according to me (and it's my blog, SO) Husky fans are the greatest! so naturally the best part of the evening was sharing it with our loyal fans. whether they've been following the team for a year or since the program's first year, these guys love their Huskies. the love and applause i was showered with was amazing. it was the most perfect night and i am so thankful to Megan Osmer, Shannon Kelly, Elliott Silvers, and Colleen and R.B. Caulkins. thank you to the program and my teammates for the continued support. and thank you to my family for EVERYTHING.

i'll post more pictures and a copy of the video when it becomes available. it was so, so awesome...i'm still smiling.

Monday, November 14, 2011

When Mo asked me to write something for the upcoming UW game
against Seattle U, where the new staff and team will recognize Mo and her
courageous battle against ALS, I was simultaneously
honored and nervous. There’s really no reason why Mo shouldn’t be able to write
something like this herself, asking her legions of friends to attend Wednesday
night’s contest, not simply because she will be recognized by the program where
she dedicated four years of her life to perfecting her “flop”, but where she
also took young freshmen under her wing and along with her 5 fellow seniors,
taught me and three other wide-eyed 18 year olds what it meant to be a Husky.
The hard work required every day, every practice, every drill. The dedication
it takes to be great, both on and off the court. The commitment to support your
teammates, challenge them and ultimately, stand by them, no matter what. I was
nervous because I wanted to make sure the words I chose did justice to the
person I have spent years admiring and looking up to, hoping someday to be like
her when I grow up.

So really, when I think about it, there’s no reason Mo shouldn’t
be writing this entry herself. She’s earned the right to ask her friends and
family to join her on a night, long overdue, where the place she gave so much
of herself is finally giving something back. A place where long after she hung
up her Nikes and put away her sweatband, she continued to support new coaches
and players as they discovered what it meant to be a Husky. But when Mo posed
the question, she felt silly for asking and was worried that writing it herself
might make her look “self-absorbed.” From the days where I longed for Mo to
graduate, so I could finally wear #4 on my uniform, to today, where I long for
a cure to an ugly and devastating disease, self-absorbed has never been a word
I would use to describe her. Although the adjectives I would’ve picked at 18
might be slightly different than I pick at 29, they generally remain the same;
Tenacious, caring, self-less, influential, dedicated, consummate teammate,
thoughtful, humble in the face of adversity, thankful and genuine are only a
start to the many that come to mind. Mo truly has shown us what it means to be
a Husky, through and through.

As I get older and basketball continues to move further and
further into the category of things I used to do, people still ask why I went
to UW and if I liked it there. In the 11 or so years it’s been since I could
call myself a Husky, the answer has never changed. And in those 11 years, it’s
only become stronger. I went there because of the people I was going to be able
to call my teammates and coaches. Maybe none of us realized it when we signed
our name on that piece of paper or walked into the coach’s office, asking if
there was a roster spot to try out for, the 15-20 people we would go through
the next four years with would be, by and large, the same 15-20 people we will
continue going through life with. And when one of those people needs our help,
support or encouragement, the commitment we made all those years ago still
binds us. When Mo sent a small group of us an email, shyly asking if we could
make it to the game, it wasn’t long before numerous replies from friends and
teammates all over the state came in, emphatically stating “yes!” we’ll be
there.

The pride we all take in being Huskies pales in comparison to the
pride we take in each other and the women we have become. Mo has been an
inspiration and example for all of us throughout her 30-some years, constantly
being mindful of others, doing so much for so many people and never turning her
back on anyone, even as her body started to turn its back on her. I know we all
enjoy coming together to show our support on one sunny, summer day in Seattle,
where throngs of people who know Mo and countless others who don’t, take to the
streets of Queen Anne to imbibe for a cause greater than all of us. But, on a
fall day where the sun might be obscured by clouds and the beer might not be
flowing until we hit up the Ram after the game (like we always do), I ask that
you join me and my teammates in showing our support for Melissa, our teammate,
our friend. Mo has not only defined what it means to be a Husky, but she has
also redefined the meaning of family. She has consistently shown that family
isn’t whose blood you share; it’s who you care about. So whether your athletic
family bleeds Cougar crimson or Husky gold, on Wednesday night we all share in
one thing: our collective love for Melissa Erickson.

ABOUT ME

Donate to ALS TDI

If you would like to donate directly to ALS Therapy Development Institute in honor of Melissa Erickson to help us continue to raise money and awareness for ALS, we thank you. Your tax deductible donations can be made here: Community.als.net/melissaericksonfun

On behalf of myself, my family and all of my friends who have supported me along the way, I send a huge THANKS for your thoughts, prayers and support.
Sincerely,
Melissa Erickson

MORE ABOUT ME

Let me give you all a little background on me. For the first 27 years of my life I was extremely active. I started playing basketball when I was 10 years old. It defined my life and gave me incredible opportunities for which I am most grateful. I earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Washington which enabled me to continue my education. From there I went on to coach and play professionally in Germany and Portugal. Basketball brought me to many countries and gave me immeasurable amounts of pleasure, pride and independence. When I was 25 and in my last season in Portugal, I started to feel very inadequate on the court. I was out of balance, slow and unable to jump as high as normal. I felt that I was just getting old and not training as I used to. I moved back to Seattle and became part of the working world. I continued to play basketball recreationally and go to the gym to work out. My inadequacies continued to progress and soon it became very difficult to play or run on my own.

After a workout at my local gym, my personal trainer informed me that my problems with balance and strength were not normal of a typical 27 year old. So in August of 2006, I started my search for reason. A day before my 28th birthday, doctors told me that there were definite signs of a neuromuscular disease. I was devastated to know that the active life I had lived was in for a drastic change. I currently am unable to walk. I use a power chair and it has increased my independence and mobility so much. Life is easier despite the restrictions of living on wheels.

In 2007, I attended numerous doctors’ appointments in Seattle and Boston, and undergone several tests; doctors continue to lean on the initial diagnosis of ALS. My life has taken many different turns and I have journeyed down a path I never thought existed. However, despite all of the disappointment and setbacks I have learned to view life in a new way. I can truly say that I enjoy the simple things in life. Each day is cherished in a new and inviting way. My family and friends are the very blood that runs through my veins.

On behalf of myself, my family and all of my friends who have supported me along the way, I send a huge THANKS for your thoughts, prayers and support.

Sincerely,

Melissa Erickson

All questions, concerns and donations can be directed to Sarah Duncan, co-founder of the Melissa Erickson Foundation. Sarah can be reached at (425) 339-8556 or sdunc@myuw.net